Educational Theory and Policy

Home page for the Educational Theory and Policy program in the Penn State College of Education.

The Educational Theory and Policy Program is located in the Department of Education Policy Studies within the College of Education at The Pennsylvania State University. The program faculty in Educational Theory and Policy is comprised of specialists in history of education, philosophy of education, and sociology of education. Our faculty members, as well as faculty in related disciplines in the Colleges of Agricultural Sciences and the Liberal Arts, offer an interdisciplinary approach to the study of education and schooling leading to the Master of Arts and Doctor of Philosophy degrees.

The goals of this program are to understand the nature and context of educational ideas and educational processes, and to understand and evaluate policies. The master's and doctoral programs in Educational Theory and Policy are designed to prepare professionals in education research and policy development and analysis. The nature of studies to be undertaken will vary, depending upon their scholarly interests, career goals, and backgrounds.

In general, students will inquire into education and schooling from the perspectives of both cultural studies and social science disciplines. The synthesis of these modes of investigation will be developed in the core studies of Educational Theory and Policy. Concentrations can be pursued in the traditional cultural or social foundations fields, history, philosophy, and sociology. This multidisciplinary approach to Educational Theory and Policy is based on the belief that educational theorists and policymakers require integrated humanistic, social science, and educational studies.

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